Olfactory Opinions from Oz

SOTD: 25.3 – 31.3.2019

A SOTD (Scent Of The Day) thread is a really good conversation generator. The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc. and how it makes you feel and/or anything else about it that tickles your fancy.

You can also comment on everyone else choices too. It’s great to tell someone how much you love their choice, ask for more info about it, the house or perfumer. There’s someone here from around the world 24/7 and perfume people love to chat.

SOTD: 25.3 – 31.3.2019

You probably won’t have time to write every scent, every spritz but whenever you feel the mood take you share your current spritz and a few things about it. Maybe you love/loathe it, want it, are excited by the notes/bottle/SA who sold it: WHATEVER! As always here at APJ, taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

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204 thoughts on “SOTD: 25.3 – 31.3.2019”

Good morning friends (it’s morning here in Pittsburgh!). I am wearing Bvlgari Black today. Maybe it’s the suggestion of the bottle but I always feel a little biker chick when I’m wearing this one. It was my first “not super feminine” purchase and I need to wear it more often!

SOTF (scent of the future) – finally bought Mito extrait today. I’m on holiday in Rome and rushed to Campomarzio the first day. They had to get a guy to bring it on a scooter from another location, and I don’t want to open it till I get back (no spillage!). So on the right I’m wearing Rubj extrait and the left has Lys Mediterranee. Also got some Maison Francis Kurkdjian samples so I have something to wear while in Rome.

I almost bought it (the Rubj ) but I’ve been wanting Mito forever and couldn’t afford both. I did love the Rubj though! Rome is wonderful any time but spring seems special. Visiting my daughter so win-win.

If you asked me, which you didn’t, if I had had to make the choice between Rubj and Mito Extraits, I would have chosen the Mito. That bitter wake up right now and notice me opening, is to die for. Stunning.

Indeed. As I have mentioned before – I spritzed myself in 34°c heat, about 6 or 7 sprays, and went to a kindergarten fete. Nothing survived, neither kids nor bees. Hahahahaha. It is the only Vero I don’t own.

I hadn’t realised you slightly oversprayed! But good to know that 6 or 7 sprays can be a worthy subsitute for pepperspray!
If you ever regret not owning it, happy to decant as with the tiny amounts I will use I will never run out.

Thanks for the note Hamamelis,
I have been eeking out the last of a 5ml decant and FINALLY took the plunge and bought a bottle. PANIC bought, I should add.
I would have definitely gone the triple spritz without this warning.
Portia xx

I almost bought it (the Rubj ) but I’ve been wanting Mito forever and couldn’t afford both. I did love the Rubj though! Rome is wonderful any time but spring seems special. Visiting my daughter so win-win.

Woo Hoo! You smell amazing Esperanza,
I bought the Mito extrait in Milan while at Esxence a couple of years ago when Very was launching Naja. She was so happy when I told her. So whever I wear it she is upmost in my mind. Also Val the Cookie Queen and Judith were with Jin and I so they feature heavily in my scent memories too.
Portia xx

I just read that Vu is compared to Fath Expression. Do you find similarities? I also read that Expression has similarities to Sisley Soir de Lune, which I recently discovered and purchased a bottle that I’m enjoying.

They share the typical 70/80’s chypre vibe. Vu is more yellow, flowery,with a bit of leather while Expression is more aldehydic, greener, even spicier. They both have a bit of honey and plenty of oakmoss. OMG these perfumes have such a wonderful depth…!

I’m having my first day in Nomade. It’s ever so gently green. I expected a bit more Oakmoss and oomph, given the notes, but this is sitting close to the skin. It would be good in a perfume averse workplace. I like it, and it’s refreshing that the creators put out something that’s not a sugar and vanilla bomb. For me it’s probably a bit too ladylike in some ways. Though to contradict myself immediately I think this would smell fab on a man. Will wear it tomorrow again and see if my nose picks up more from it.

Hey Cassieflower,
Yes, you’re right. Nomade is quite reticent but I think it changes the air around you more than you realise. It’s noticeable but not overbearing. Also it’s difference from so much else being released makes it a winner, good point.
Portia x

I go berserk at home!!!
Luckily I don’t mind pretty and simple and I have plenty of perfumes in my wardrobe that fit the bill (Heaven, Brigitte, Reglisse Noire, Noa, eau de Lierre, Paramela, etc etc). The heavy hitters and challenging stuff I can wear on the weekend. Also, my skin eats perfume so heavy hitters like Casablanca one or two dabs sits close to the skin and the perfume adverse don’t complain.

Nomade again. Will continue sticking my nose down my top.😃
I finally purchased the 1000 Flowers discovery set. If even half of her perfumes are as good on skin as they read, then I’m in serious trouble. Somebody help me . . . 🤪

Vintage Expression by Fath. After all this time it seems so similar to Vu I was wearing yesterday. I guess many notes are gone so it comes down to oakmoss, a bit of woods, a touch of spices and flowers. I should be using my vintages as a base for other lighter perfumes. Has anyone already done that?

Fath Vintage Expression is beautiful, I’m quite enjoying my mini bottle.
I recently went crazy for Fath de Fath when sampled and purchased two bottles. I’m wearing it now and love it as much as anything I’ve purchased recently.

Yes, I am a vintage perfume lover! They smell and feel so full and whole to me, not sheer and fleeting like many from today.
Good question and I’m curious to sample them side by side today to get a better comparison opinion. They are both described as Orientals; I find Expression more green/woody chypre, and Fath de Fath more fruity and floral.

I’ve received a long-awaited package from my new scent friendfrom Moscow today, yay! It took it two (!) fricking weeks to arrive but it’s worth the wait: there are two dozens samples of vintage & niche perfumes. I’ve tried them all, of course, but am wearing Rose Privee by l’Artisan Parfumeur, and it’s just as good as I hoped it would be.

Neva, I will (it’s probably inevitable), just need to form a more or less stable opinion, right now it’s “OMG, they’re all fantastic!”. Right now I’m wearing a limited edition of Shalimar (a black bottle, I think it was made in 2007). It’s surprisingly good, got some vintage vibe about it.

Turns out this new friend is my scent twin, we have a lot of common favourites and we share hatred for some things, this is a rare and beautiful thing. It’s also very helpful since we both tend to do a lot of blind buys 😉

I would be ecstatic to find more people that loved my loves. Hurray for finding someone Diana! I have one fragrance friend that I share my love of perfume and samples with and I am so grateful for her!

Drowning in decants and samples, so I’m going through and wearing a different one each day to decide what should go and what should stay. Yesterday I wore Serge Lutens Sarrasins. I have about 5mL left and it’s a keeper. Today I finished off a decant of Amouage Gold Woman. It would have been a keep if I hadn’t thunked it. Glad I got one more wear out of it.

Home now and am wearing and thunking Aqua di Sale. A dear friend of mine sent me a whole bunch of decants for my eldest as they both love “beachy” fragrances and she wanted mini Marzipan to experience some of her full bottle loves. Well, the eldest wore them at university and brought home just the dregs for me to sample and thunk. Night time ritual has been doing just that! and I will have several things to report on Portia’s Thursday Thunk post.
I know this good friend lurks here from time to time so if she is reading I hope she will finally leave a comment-LOL!!! I would LOVE for her to be part of the APJ family!

The weather has definitely turned and we are now seeing some cold mornings, with the temperatures down to single digits. For me, this means breaking out those heftier leather, woods, spice and amber frags. Monday was Jaipur Homme EdT. It’s not really a spectacular scent, but it’s very nicely done and it lasts forever; maybe 14 hours on me. Tuesday was HdP’ 1740. Whatever you might say about the Marquis de Sade, he had good taste in perfumes.

My PPP arrived yesterday so last night I got started on Les Néréides. There wasn’t a name on it but one spray and I knew it was a patchouli bomb, so I had a reference point to start from. Further investigation found out that it’s called Patchouli Precieux. And it lives up to its name. This is a mentholated patch, there is a supporting cast but they’re hiding behind the curtains most of the time. All you get is an odd peek and maybe a muffled giggle.
Today it’s Baikal Gris, intensely green, a little balsamic with a nod to swamp. I think I need to spray this to get the full effect.

A water main broke right in front of the high school today, no school for my son, which meant extra taxi service for me today. But smelling good in Penhaligon’s Ostara. A shame they discontinued this one.

Giving Nicolai Cap Neroli another go today. So many raves for this on NST but there is something in there that makes it less than perfect for me, maybe the mint? I’m putting it up against Neroli Intense to see which 30ml bottle deserves my $ to fill my collection’s Neroli gap.

Hi all, sorry I’ve been MIA. Life has continued to be difficult and stressful. During this week I’ve been using a L’Occitaine Lavender shower gel ,then applying scent over it. Those scents have included Yardley Lavender, Avon Goddess, a sample {thunked} of Ambre114 and Dali Laguna. Today I will wear Shalimar to work. I don’t know when I will join you next, and I ask that you keep me in your thoughts, as the cheating husband is planning on returning next week….not to me, just the house. Anxiety overload. I wish to say I love you all

Well I have been lax in keeping y’all up to date. Today I sprayed myself in Tom Ford London. I had the nozzle misaligned and blasted my cheek instead of my neck. Lucky it didn’t go in my eye.

Yesterday was Van Cleef & Arpels Pour Homme (modern version). I have three variants of this, and they are all good. Friday was a bit of a rare one: HdP’s Veni. Thursday was L’Artisan Tea For Two (pre-reform)., one of my favourite op shop gets. Wednesday I wore Versace Pour Homme. I decided I do not love this and it went to the op shop.

Splendiris. I must confess that I was a bit underwhelmed when I first tried it but wearing it on a sunny warm (finally!) day I started thinking that maybe I need a bottle of it. I’m always on the lookout for a new iris scent but the three contenders for the next FB purchase – Cuir de Nacre, Oriental Express and Nettuno – haven’t impressed me enough.

I was visiting my daughter in Budapest for the past four days. In the Ritz Carlton hotel I saw a small perfumery and was finally able to try Cafe Tuberosa by Atelier Cologne (wasn’t impressed but I’m not a fan of the coffe note in perfumes), Nevermore by Frapin (what a strange creature, definitely good but not my style) and Sublime Balkiss by The Different Company. I think Portia reviewed it recently. It’s so beautiful that I almost bought it instantly. I’ve decided tha it will be my birthday present for myself 🙂